Singapore has not developed its own set of product standards. Instead, it refers to EU, US and International technical and safety standards.

Let me explain what this means for your import business.

a. Assessing Applicable Standards

Go back to CGSR booklet and scroll down to page 15. Here you see a list of Children’s products, and applicable regulations.

For each product, SPRING has assigned a set of standards.

For example, as an importer of Bunk beds, you are required to ensure compliance with at least one of the following:

EN 747 (EU)

ASTM F1427 (US)

ISO 9098 (International)

Assuming we choose to ensure compliance with EN 747 (Read more), we can start looking for suitable manufacturers in China, or elsewhere in Asia.

b. Sourcing Manufacturers

When sourcing manufacturers, in any industry, it is crucial to first have identified all applicable product safety standards. Why? Because ‘previous compliance’ is a critical factor when selecting a supplier.

Now that we have identified EN 747 as the product standards we must ensure compliance with, we have a reference point.

For example, we can now start calling suppliers – and filter out all suppliers that cannot prove that they have experience in manufacturing products (Bunk beds) according to the requirements set in EN 747.

While I don’t have data for this specific industry, I can safely assume that most (say 90%) of all manufacturers don’t have experience with EN 747.

Clearly, we should avoid all such suppliers.

But, 10% is not all that bad. Assuming you would need to refer to an obscure Singaporean standard, that no supplier has ever heard of, that figure would go down to zero.

Fortunately, the Singaporean government understands this – but referring to unknown standards is a big problem for importers in Australia and many other (relatively speaking) small markets.

c. Compliance Testing

All major compliance testing companies, such as SGS and Bureau Veritas, offer services, testing products according to EU, US and International standards.

As such, you only need to refer to, in this specific case, EN 747 – and they’ll do the rest.

‘Can I import any product that is CE marked?’

By putting one and one together, it would be reasonable to assume that all CE marked products are ready to be shipped over to Singapore.

However, doing so could be a grave mistake.

Many products containing the CE mark are not actually compliant with the applicable EN standards. The Singaporean government is, of course, aware of this:

‘Consumers should be aware of the various safety/conformity marks and their limitations. For example, the CE marking is based on a supplier declaration of conformity and there is no assurance that consumer goods marked CE have actually been tested to the relevant EN safety standards.’

Personally, I find it fascinating that the Singaporean government has a better understanding of the complexities surrounding compliance with EU regulations – than the EU authorities have.

Shipping from China to Singapore

Singapore is only 4 to 6 days away from China’s major ports, offering Singaporean importers the benefit of quick and cost effective sea freight from the world’s manufacturing center.

Below follows an overview:

Tianjin – Singapore: 7 – 8 days

Shanghai – Singapore: 6 – 7 days

Hong Kong – Singapore: 4 – 5 days

Singaporean importers also have the option of air freight and land transportation.

Customs Value

Import duties and other taxes (i.e., GST) is calculated based on the Customs Value. In Singapore, the Customs Value equals the CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) cost.

Hence, the Customs Value, in Singapore includes the following:

Product cost

Transportation costs (from the factory in China to the Port of Singapore)

91029900: OTHER WATCHES INCL POCKET WATCHES OTHER THAN OF HEADING 9101 NOT ELECTRICALLY OPERATED (NMB)

The Customs classification of a product such as Watches is very specific, as detailed above. It’s up you to determine which HS code applies to your product, and then ensure that the cargo is declared accordingly.

Now, back to the Import duty rate. You can’t see it in the image, but in the columns on the right, you can read the applicable duty rate.

Visiting Suppliers in Mainland China

Singaporean citizens enjoy the advantage of visa free visits to Mainland China, for up to 15 days. Visa-free entry has only recently become available to other nationalities in China, and so far only for transit travelers.

Do you want to launch your own private label or custom designed product?

It can be hard to go from a design drawing to finished product. To help you manage the entire process – from creating a specification, to sampling and quality control – we created a Starter Package:

a. Private Label & OEM Product Manufacturer Lists

b. Product Specification Templates

c. Product Label Samples

d. Tutorials, Video Walkthroughs and Task Lists that guide you step-by-step through the entire process

In addition, you can also book quality inspections, lab testing and shipping directly from the platform. Click here to learn more.

Planning to Import Products From China?

Watch this video to learn more about the risks

About Fredrik Gronkvist

Fredrik Gronkvist has been based in Shanghai since 2010 and is our main contributor. In addition, his content has also been featured in Bloomberg, Quartz Magazine, Global Sources, Alibaba, China Chief Executive and more. You can send him an email on fredrik@chinaimportal.com or via Linkedin.